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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. scale — size or range
  3. game — a match
  4. scale — in music
  5. drill — the tool
  6. rock — music
  7. fine — all right
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. fine — high quality
  11. rock — a stone
  12. drill — a practice
  13. row — a line
  14. row — to paddle
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. game — wild animals
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. stick — a piece of wood

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com